Study: Tampa named one of the most generous cities

By Jo-Lynn Brown – Special Sections and Social Media Manager, Tampa Bay Business Journal

Apr 7, 2014, 1:54pm EDT

When it comes to generosity, Tampa comes in as one of the best in the nation.

Tampa ranked No. 9 on a list calculating the generosity of citizens, according to a study by CreditDonkey.com.

The city earned its spot in the top 10 ranking because one out of five residents volunteer their time giving back to the community and contribute an average of $491, per person, in financial contributions to organizations, CreditDonkey reported.

Tampa was also noted as having an average of 2,863 property crimes per 100,000 people, the study said. Property crime is considered a bellwether of residents’ respect for property.

The study looked at the level of theft using FBI data from 2012, the most recent IRS data that tracks citizen’s charitable giving, and 2012 data from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

In addition the study looked at credit card balances using data from Equifax to be sure cities weren’t giving at the expense of their own financial security.

CreditDonkey is a credit card comparison website that publishes data-driven analysis intended to help people save money and make savvy financial decisions, according to the site.

By Jo-Lynn Brown – Special Sections and Social Media Manager, Tampa Bay Business Journal